About Julio

Julio was born and raised in the Blue Ridge mountains of Blacksburg, Virginia. When he turned 17, he got his first ever job at a small Mediterranean restaurant called Pita Vera. It wasn’t long before Julio knew that cooking was his calling. Julio then went on to culinary school in Roanoke, Virginia to get a better knowledge of classical cooking. He was heavily influenced by his instructors there to get out of his small town and see bigger “food cities”. As soon as Julio was able, he relocated to Boston, Massachusetts to hone his technique. There he found himself at the legendary Isabella Stuart Gardner Museum, working in the amazing café they have inside. Julio was given the opportunity to work with and study under amazing chefs including Barbara Lynch, Ken Oringer, and Peter Crowley. After several years in Boston, Julio traveled to the South American nation of Chile, where Julio’s family hails, to explore the culture and of course the food! After 3 months in Chile, Julio settled outside of Washington, D.C in Leesburg, VA, where he worked at some amazing restaurants including The Wine Kitchen and the Restaurant at Patowmack Farm, up until the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. During the height of the pandemic, Julio helped open Buford’s Biscuits in downtown historic Leesburg as Executive Chef. This was an amazing opportunity for Julio to get back to his Appalachian roots which were extremely well received. After Buford’s Biscuits reached success Julio relocated to Richmond Virginia where his story continues to unfold…..